The present invention relates to plant performance optimization and, more particularly, to a probe for use in a computerized system for plant selection and health maintenance.
Plant heath is highly dependent on compatibility of plant species with local environmental conditions, such as light, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and soil pH. Determining compatibility of plant species with local environmental conditions is, however, a complex problem. The sheer diversity of plant species makes determining the universe of plant species that will thrive in a given environment a daunting challenge that is beyond the capabilities of the typical home gardener. The task of determining local environmental conditions with sufficient precision to make intelligent judgments about plant selection is also formidable. Due to these and other difficulties in determining plant-environment compatibility, plants are often selected based on non-scientific perceptions about species characteristics and local environmental conditions, with selected plants often experiencing poor health as a result. Moreover, even if a plant that is normally compatible with its environment has been selected, changing environmental conditions can cause the plant to experience poor health. Unfortunately, diagnosing environmental conditions adverse to plant health accurately and in sufficient time to permit corrective action to save a sick plant is also beyond the ability of most home gardeners.
One promising solution to these problems that have plagued plant selection and health maintenance resides in using computerized plant-environment compatibility analysis to make prognostic and diagnostic decisions. A computerized system capable of performing such analysis requires a device for collecting and reporting on environmental conditions at the plant site in a manner that facilitates such analysis. Ideally, such a device is capable of collecting and reporting accurate data on a variety of environmental parameters that are relevant to such decisions, durable enough to withstand harsh environmental conditions, user friendly and aesthetically pleasing so as not to be discordant with the beautification function of a garden.